Ibn Uthaymin
Tafsir al-Uthaymin: Fussilat
- Author died
- 1421 AH
- Editions
- Mu’assasat al-Shaykh Muḥammad ibn Ṣāliḥ al-ʻUthaymīn al-Khayrīyah
Tafsir al-Uthaymin: Fussilat (Arabic: تفسير العثيمين: فصلت) is a contemporary commentary on Surat Fussilat by the Saudi Hanbali jurist and scholar Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymin (d. 1421 AH / 2001 CE), derived from his recorded teaching sessions in Unayzah .
Origin and Context
The work originated as part of a series of daily morning study circles that Ibn Uthaymin held during summer vacations at his congregational mosque in the city of Unayzah . The audio recordings for these specific summer lectures began with Surat al-Nur and proceeded sequentially through the Quran until reaching verse 45 of Surat al-Zukhruf: وَاسْأَلْ مَنْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ مِنْ رُسُلِنَا أَجَعَلْنَا مِنْ دُونِ الرَّحْمَنِ آلِهَةً يُعْبَدُونَ ("And ask those We sent before you of Our messengers; have We made besides the Most Merciful deities to be worshipped?") . In these lessons, Ibn Uthaymin used Tafsir al-Jalalayn by Jalal al-Din al-Mahalli (d. 864 AH) and Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (d. 911 AH) as the base reference text held in the hands of his students, providing his own detailed commentary, expansions, and corrections upon it .
Methodology and Structure
In his prefatory remarks to the exegesis of Surat Fussilat, Ibn Uthaymin outlines five hierarchical principles for interpreting the Quran:
- Explaining the Quran through the Quran itself, since the Revealer knows His own intent best .
- Explaining the Quran through the verbal and practical Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ .
- Referring to the interpretations of the Companions of the Prophet, who possessed the deepest knowledge of the Arabic language and the context of revelation, foremost among them Abdullah ibn Abbas .
- Consulting the prominent Successors (Tabi'un) who studied under the Companions, led by Mujahid ibn Jabr .
- Adopting the best explanations of the leading scholarly authorities, while maintaining that exegesis is not restricted exclusively to earlier generations because the Quran is a universal text whose meanings and insights continue to be drawn out in subsequent eras .
The commentary covers the 54 verses of Surat Fussilat by analyzing vocabulary, grammatical syntax, and rhetorical features before enumerating deduced theological, juristic, and ethical benefits (fawa'id) from each passage . These deduced points place particular emphasis on affirming the divine names and attributes in accordance with the Athari creed, such as establishing God's mercy and refuting the interpretations of figurative deniers (ahl al-ta'til) .
Publication
The transcription, verification, and preparation of the audio recordings for print were carried out by the Scientific Department of the Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymin Charitable Foundation, which completed its editorial work on the text in Muharram 1437 AH .
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